2.

PowerPak Description

2.1 Top sub

The top sub of a PowerPak motor can be a crossover sub, dump valve, oat sub or ex sub. Historically, PowerPak motors used a dump valve as a top sub. However, in most cases, the use of a dump valve is not necessary. Although PowerPak dump valves are reliable, running a dump valve, if not required, is not recommended. A crossover sub should be used.
Crossover sub

The crossover sub for a PowerPak motor is a sub that has a conventional box thread and a nonstandard pin thread for the PowerPak stators. A crossover sub is used as the top sub of the motor for most operations. A dump valve, oat sub or ex sub is used only when necessary.
Dump valve

A dump valve can be added to the top of the power section. The dump valve prevents wet trips by allowing the drillpipe to ll with drilling uid when tripping into the hole and to drain when pulling out. The PowerPak dump valve also acts as a crossover sub, connecting the stators connection to a standard API-type thread. When circulation rates are low or when there is no circulation, a spring holds the bypass piston in the upper position, keeping the ports open and allowing drilling uid to ow into or out of the drillstring (Fig. 2-1). At a threshold that is considerably less than the minimum circulation rate for the motor, the piston moves down, closing the bypass ports. Drilling uid is then directed through the motor section. When circulation stops, the bypass piston is released and the bypass ports reopen.

10

PowerPak Description

2.1

Figure 2-1. Dump valve assembly.

Pump off

Pump on

Body

Piston

Spring

Port Sleeve

Open

Closed

11

2.1

PowerPak Description

Float sub

Float subs for PowerPak motors incorporate commercially available oat valves. They also act as crossovers between conventional API-type threads and Anadrill threads.
Flex sub

For tough drilling conditions, a ex sub can be run as the top sub of a PowerPak motor. The ex sub acts as a crossover sub, and it may include a oat valve. The conditions for which a ex sub should be used are frequent motor stalling rocking the BHA to help sliding backreaming high dogleg severity (more than 12 per 100 ft).

12

PowerPak Description

2.2

2.2 Power section

The power section converts hydraulic energy from the drilling uid into mechanical power to turn the bit. This is accomplished by reverse application of the Moineau pump principle. Drilling uid is pumped into the motors power section at a pressure that causes the rotor to rotate within the stator. This rotational force is then transmitted through a transmission shaft and drive shaft to the bit. The PowerPak rotor is manufactured of corrosionresistant stainless steel. It usually has 0.010 in. of chrome plating applied to reduce friction and abrasion. Tungsten-carbide-coated rotors are also available for reduced abrasion wear and corrosion damage. PowerPak rotors are bored to accept bypass nozzles for high-ow applications. The stator consists of a steel tube with an elastomer (rubber) lining molded into the bore. The elastomer in the lining is formulated specically to resist abrasion and hydrocarbon-induced deterioration. The rotor and stator have similar helical proles, but the rotor has one less spiral, or lobe, than the stator (Fig. 2-2). In an assembled power section, the rotor and stator form a continuous seal at their contact points along a straight line, which produces a number of independent cavities. As uid (water, mud or air) is forced through these progressive cavities, it causes the rotor to ratchet around inside the stator. This movement of the rotor inside the stator is called nutation. For each nutation cycle made by the rotor inside the stator, the rotor turns/ratchets the distance of one lobe width. The rotor must nutate for each lobe in the stator to complete one revolution of the bit box. A motor with a 7:8 rotor/stator lobe conguration and a speed of 100 revolutions per minute (rpm) at the bit box will have a nutation speed of 700 cycles per minute.

13

2.2

PowerPak Description

Figure 2-2. Power section assembly.

Ratio 5:6 Ratio 1:2

Housing Rotor Stator

14

PowerPak Description

2.2

The power section of a downhole motor is designated by its rotor/stator lobe conguration. For example, a 4:5 power section has four lobes in the rotor and ve in the stator. Generally, the higher the number of lobes, the higher the torque output of the motor and the slower the speed. PowerPak motors are available in 1:2, 3:4, 4:5, 5:6 and 7:8 lobe congurations. Torque also depends on the number of stages (a stage is one complete spiral of the stator helix). PowerPak motors have a standard length power section or a longer extended power (XP) power section. The XP power sections have more stages to provide greater torque without a decrease in rotational speed.
Rotor/stator lobe ratio

The lobes on a rotor and stator act like a gear box. As their numbers increase for a given motor size, the motors torque output generally increases and its output shaft speed generally decreases. Figure 2-3 shows an example of the general relationship between power section speed and torque and the power section lobe conguration. Because power is dened as speed times torque, a greater number of lobes in a motor does not necessarily produce more horsepower. Motors with more lobes are actually less efficient because the seal area between the rotor and stator increases with the number of lobes.

15

2.2

PowerPak Description

Figure 2-3. Output shaft speed versus rotor/stator lobe ratio.

700 Output shaft speed (rpm) 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1:2 3:4 5:6 7:8 Rotor/stator ratio
Torque Speed

6000 5000 Torque (ft/lbf) 4000 3000 2000 1000 0

Motor mechanical horsepower is calculated as follows: T rpm HP = , 5252 where HP = motor mechanical power (horsepower) rpm = output shaft rotary speed (rpm) T = output torque (ft-lbf).
Rotor/stator interference t

(2-1)

The difference between the size of the rotor mean diameter (valley to lobe peak measurement) and the stator minor diameter (lobe peak to lobe peak) is dened as the rotor/stator interference t (Fig. 2-4). Motors are usually assembled with the rotor sized larger than the stator. This produces a strong positive interference seal called a positive t. Motors run with a rotor mean diameter more than 0.022 in. greater than the stator minor diameter at downhole conditions are very
16

PowerPak Description

2.2

strong (capable of producing large pressure drops), but they usually have a reduced life because premature chunking develops (see Failure modes and prevention, page 20). If increased downhole temperatures are anticipated, the amount of positive t is reduced during motor assembly to allow for the swelling of the elastomer lining in the stator. An oversize stator is usually required to obtain the correct amount of interference between the rotor and the stator for temperatures above 200F. If the anticipated circulating temperature of a well is above approximately 225F, the interference t must be a ush or negative t, in which the rotor mean diameter is the same size as or smaller than the stator minor diameter when the motor is assembled in the shop.
Figure 2-4. Rotor/stator interference t.

Compression of stator

Positive interference
Major diameter Minor diameter

Negative interference

Minor diameter

Mean diameter (valley to peak diameter)

Rotor (four lobes)

Stator (five lobes)

17

2.2

PowerPak Description

Spiral stage length

The stator stage length is dened as the axial length required for one lobe in the stator to rotate 360 along its helical path around the body of the stator. The stage length of a rotor, however, is not equivalent to the stage length of its corresponding stator. A rotor has a shorter stage length than its corresponding stator. The equation that describes the general relation of the rotor stages to the stator stages is rotor stages = n +1 stator stages, n (2-2)

where n = number of rotor lobes rotor stages = number of stages (360 turns) on the rotor stator stages = number of stages (360 turns) in the stator/power section. For example, for a PowerPak model A675 model motor with a 4:5 lobe, 4.8-stage power section, the power section and the individual stator each have 4.8 stages. However, the rotor has more than 4.8 stages. The number of stages on the rotor is rotor stages = n +1 stator stages, n

Hence, the rotor for a 4:5 lobe, 4.8-stage power section actually has 6 full rotations of a lobe. Figure 2-5 shows the stage length of a rotor. The number of stages a power section has can also be determined by simply counting the number of rotor stages and reversing the calculation. Stage length is dependent on the lobe pitch angle of the spiral. As the pitch angle increases, resulting in a tighter spiral and shorter stage length, the force vector perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rotor (torque) and the volume of the cavity within the stage decrease. This results in a reduction of torque output and an increase in the motors speed. Conversely, a decrease
18

PowerPak Description

2.2

Figure 2-5. Spiral stage length.

Stage length

Rotor

in pitch angle produces a longer stage length, resulting in an increase in torque and a decrease in speed. Long-stage motors usually produce higher torque and fewer revolutions per minute than short-stage motors. As previously mentioned, the drawback for long-stage motors is that as the seal length along the rotor/stator increases with stage length, the efficiency of the seal and the speed of the motor both decrease. The primary application for long-stage designs is air drilling.
Number of stages

Using a power section with more stages is the only way to effectively increase the power of a motor. The additional stages of XP power sections can be used to produce more torque or to spread the load on the motor and run each stage at a lower pressure drop. Running at a lower pressure drop usually extends the life of the stator. XP power sections are also used in extremely high temperature wells. The loose t initially required to allow for stator swell in hot wells often means that a regular-length power section is too weak to drill when rst tripped in the well until the stator has had time to swell. An XP power section can be assembled with an extremely loose t between the rotor and stator and still produce enough power to drill. However, the overall length of the motor and the cost of parts increase when using XP power sections.

19

2.2

PowerPak Description

Pressure drop per stage

The maximum designed pressure drop per stage is a function of the lobe prole and the hardness of the elastomer lining. Changes in the hardness of the elastomer affect not only the pressure drop but also the resiliency and life of the elastomer.
Failure modes and prevention

The elastomer lining in the stator tube is usually the element that fails rst in the power section. The causes of rubber failure in a stator are chunking, debond and junk damage. Chunking (or chunked out) describes a stator in which the rubber across the top of the lobes has apparently ripped away. Chunking occurs when the strength of the friction force between the rotor lobe and the stator lobe exceeds the strength of the rubber in the stator. The magnitude of the friction force between the rotor and the stator is affected by the lubricity of the mud, interference t between the rotor and stator, nutation speed and pressure drop. Most stator failures result from chunking for various reasons. Two bonding agents are used in stators. One agent bonds to the steel tube, the other agent bonds to the stator elastomer, and both agents bond to one another. Debond is dened as the failure of any one, two or all three bonds in the stator: steel tube to bonding agent bonding agent to bonding agent bonding agent to elastomer. Stators failing from debond typically have large sheets of loose elastomer. These sheets of rubber usually have a smooth back surface where the stator was molded against the steel tube. PowerPak stator failures resulting from debond are extremely rare.
20

PowerPak Description

2.2

Junk damage is caused by pumping junk through the motor. The stator will have sharp cuts along a spiral path, and the rotor may also have damage along the same path. It is difficult to prevent debond failures, which fortunately are rare. Measures can be taken to prevent chunking failures and junk damage. The most obvious prevention technique is to prevent junk damage by ensuring that no junk can get into the mud system or drillstring. If the mud is kept free of junk pieces or particles, then it stands to reason that there would be no damage to the motor. Chunking prevention is a combination of techniques involving the rotor/stator t, bottomhole temperature, drilling mud selection, proper operation (performance curves), lost circulation material, nozzled rotors, dogleg severity and stator age tracking.
Rotor/stator t

The interference t of the rotor and stator is critical to the performance and overall life of the elastomer in the stator tube. A motor with too much interference (the rotor is much bigger than the stator) runs with a high differential pressure but will develop premature chunking after only a few circulating hours (i.e., 68 hr). The chunking may be uniform or follow a spiral path through the motor. A rotor/stator interference that is too loose produces a weak motor that stalls at low differential pressure. Motor stalling is the condition in which the torque required to turn the bit is greater than the motor is capable of producing. When a motor stalls, the rotor is pushed to one side of the stator and mud is pumped across the seal face on the opposite side of the rotor. The lobe prole of the stator must deform for the uid to pass across the seal face. This causes very high uid velocity across the deformed top of the stator lobes and leads to chunking. Chunking caused by motor stalling when sliding (no
21

2.2

PowerPak Description

surface rotation) has a straight path along one wall of the stator tube. Chunking caused by motor stalling with surface rotation can be uniform or follow a spiral path. To prevent chunking, care must be taken to select the appropriate rotor/stator interference (or clearance) relative to downhole mud temperature.
Mud temperature

The circulating temperature dictates the amount of interference in assembling the rotor/stator. The higher the anticipated downhole temperature, the less compression is required between a rotor and stator. The reduction in interference during motor assembly compensates for the swell downhole of the elastomer because of temperature and mud properties. If there is too much interference between the rotor and the stator at operating conditions, then the stator will experience high shearing stresses, resulting in fatigue damage. This fatigue leads to premature chunking failure. Failure to compensate for stator swell resulting from the anticipated downhole temperature is a leading cause of motor failure.
Drilling uids

PowerPak motors are designed to operate effectively with all types of oil- and water-base drilling uids, as well as with oil-emulsion, high-viscosity and highdensity drilling uids, air, mist and foam. Drilling uids can have many different additives, some of which have a detrimental effect on the stator elastomer and stainlesssteel/chrome-plated rotor. It is well known that oil-base muds (OBM) generally cause stators to swell. If oil-base drilling uids are used, it is important to consider the effects of bottomhole circulating temperature and the aniline point on the PowerPak stator, which is made of nitrile rubber. Aromatics such as aniline can swell and deteriorate nitrile rubber. The aniline point is the lowest temperature at
22

PowerPak Description

2.2

which equal volumes of freshly distilled aniline and oil are capable of mixing completely. The lower the aniline point of an OBM compared with the circulating temperature of the mud, the more severely it may damage rubber parts. Therefore, when OBM is used, low-aromatic, low-toxicity mud (i.e., aniline point above 200F) is recommended, and the bottomhole temperatures and aniline point should be recorded. The naphtha base of many pipe corrosion inhibitors can cause excessive swelling of the elastomer, particularly when added to the system in slugs. Slugging causes high concentrations of the product to come into contact with the elastomer. Chlorides in mud can severely corrode the chrome plating on standard rotors. In addition to the damage caused to the rotors as a result of corrosion, the rough edges left on the rotor lobes damage the stator by cutting the top off the elastomer in the stator lobe prole. These cuts reduce the effectiveness of the rotor/stator seal and cause the motor to stall (chunking the stator) at low differential pressure. For OBM with supersaturated water phases and for salt muds, tungsten-carbide-coated rotors are recommended.
Differential pressure: understanding motor performance curves

The difference between on-bottom and off-bottom drilling pressure is dened as the differential pressure. This pressure difference is generated by the rotor/stator section of the motor. The larger the pressure difference, the higher the torque output of the motor and the lower the output shaft speed. Motors that are run with too much differential pressure experience premature chunking (within as few as 6 pumping hr) in a manner similar to stators that have too much interference (compression) between the rotor and stator. The chunking will follow a spiral path or be uniform throughout the stator body. Running a motor at
23

2.2

PowerPak Description

or close to its rated maximum differential pressure severely reduces the life of the stator. The PowerPak motor performance curves in Chapter 5, Performance Data, provide a useful guide for determining the optimum amount of differential pump pressure and ow rate for an Anadrill motor. However, there is no best point on any of the curves where the motor should be run. The intersection of the straight torque line with the curved motor speed line does not indicate the optimum running point for a PowerPak motor. To extend the life of the motor, it is recommended to run it at no more than 90% of its maximum-rated horsepower output for any given ow rate. The ow rate should be kept below 90% of the maximum rate. Running at the maximum-rated level for any parameter (pump rate, weight on bit [WOB], differential motor pressure or rotary table speed) reduces the overall life of the motor, particularly the stator. The use of XP power sections and nozzled rotors should be investigated if these operating limits produce motor performance levels below what is acceptable.
Lost circulation material

LCM can cause two problems when pumped through a motor. The material can plug off inside the motor, usually at the dump valve if one is used or at the top of the output shaft or the radial bearing, and it can cause stator wear. However, LCM can be used with PowerPak motors if certain precautions are followed: add the LCM evenlyavoid pumping a large slug of material minimize the use of hard, sharp-edged materials such as nut plug, coarse mica and calcium carbonate chips because these can cause stator wear by abrasion.

24

PowerPak Description

2.2

Although these guidelines help minimize the plugging problems associated with LCM, they cannot completely eliminate the possibility of plugging the motor or bearing section.
Nozzled rotors

The PowerPak rotor is bored and can be tted with a nozzle that bypasses part of the ow to extend the motors capacity and enhance exibility in matching motor performance to other hydraulic or downhole conditions (Fig. 2-6). The amount of uid bypassed is determined by the nozzle, the pressure drop through the power section and the uid density.
Figure 2-6. Nozzled rotor.

25

2.2

PowerPak Description

For performance drilling in larger diameter hole sections, adding a rotor nozzle allows increasing the total ow to clean the hole and remove cuttings. In special applications such as spudding, under-reaming or hole opening in large-size holes, adding a rotor nozzle reduces the bit speed at high ow rates. A simple hydraulics calculation is used to determine the size of the rotor nozzle: TFA = where TFA Q MWppg P Q 2 MWppg , P 10, 858

(2-3)

= total ow area (nozzle size, in.2) = amount of ow to bypass (gpm) = mud weight (lbm/gal) = expected differential drilling pressure + friction pressure (psi). Friction pressure is 125 psi for A475 and larger motors or 150 psi for A350 and smaller motors. Table 2-1 lists the total ow area of common nozzle sizes, and Table 2-2 shows the amount of uid bypassed for common mud weights at various nozzle sizes.

Table 2-1. PowerPak motor nozzle size and total ow area

Nozzle Size (in.) 6/32 7/32 8/32 9/32 10/32 12/32 14/32 16/32 Total Flow Area (in.2) 0.0276 0.0376 0.0491 0.0621 0.0767 0.110 0.150 0.196 Nozzle Size (in.) 18/32 20/32 22/32 24/32 26/32 28/32 30/32 32/32 Total Flow Area (in.2) 0.249 0.307 0.371 0.442 0.518 0.601 0.690 0.785

26

Table 2-2. Rotor nozzle bypass ow at different pressure drops

Nozzle (in.) Mud Weight (ppg [kg/liter]) 7/32 8.34 [1.00] 10.00 [1.20] 12.00 [1.44] 14.00 [1.68] 8.34 [1.00] 10.00 [1.20] 12.00 [1.44] 14.00 [1.68] 8.34 [1.00] 10.00 [1.20] 12.00 [1.44] 14.00 [1.68] 8.34 [1.00] 10.00 [1.20] 12.00 [1.44] 14.00 [1.68] 8.34 [1.00] 10.00 [1.20] 12.00 [1.44] 14.00 [1.68] 8.34 [1.00] 10.00 [1.20] 12.00 [1.44] 14.00 [1.68] 14 [52] 12 [47] 11 [43] 10 [40] 22 [85] 20 [78] 19 [71] 17 [66] 40 [152] 36 [139] 33 [127] 31 [117] 54 [207] 50 [189] 45 [172] 42 [160] 71 [270] 65 [247] 59 [225] 55 [208] 90 [342] 82 [312] 75 [285] 69 [264] 19 [73] 18 [67] 16 [61] 15 [56] 32 [121] 29 [110] 26 [101] 24 [93] 56 [215] 51 [196] 47 [179] 43 [166] 77 [292] 70 [267] 64 [244] 59 [226] 100 [382] 91 [349] 84 [318] 77 [295] 127 [484] 116 [441] 106 [403] 98 [373] 100 [7] 200 [14] Pressure Drop Across Power Section (psi [bar]) 300 [21] 400 [28] 500 [35] 600 [42] 700 [49] 800 [56]

Bypass Flow Rate (gpm [liter/min]) 23 [90] 21 [82] 20 [75] 18 [69] 39 [148] 35 [135] 32 [123] 30 [114] 69 [263] 63 [240] 58 [219] 53 [203] 94 [358] 86 [327] 78 [299] 73 [276] 123 [468] 112 [427] 102 [390] 95 [361] 155 [592] 142 [541] 129 [493] 120 [457] 27 [103] 25 [94] 23 [86] 21 [80] 45 [171] 41 [156] 37 [142] 35 [132] 80 [304] 73 [277] 66 [253] 62 [234] 108 [414] 99 [378] 90 [345] 84 [319] 142 [540] 129 [493] 118 [450] 109 [417] 179 [684] 164 [624] 150 [570] 138 [528] 30 [116] 28 [106] 25 [96] 23 [89] 50 [191] 46 [174] 42 [159] 39 [147] 89 [340] 81 [310] 74 [283] 69 [262] 121 [462] 111 [422] 101 [385] 94 [357] 158 [604] 145 [551] 132 [503] 122 [466] 200 [764] 183 [698] 167 [637] 155 [590] 33 [127] 30 [116] 28 [106] 26 [98] 55 [209] 50 [191] 46 [174] 42 [162] 98 [372] 89 [340] 81 [310] 75 [287] 133 [507] 121 [462] 111 [422] 103 [391] 174 [662] 158 [604] 145 [551] 134 [511] 220 [837] 201 [764] 183 [698] 170 [646] 36 [137] 33 [125] 30 [114] 28 [106] 59 [226] 54 [206] 49 [188] 46 [174] 105 [402] 96 [367] 88 [335] 81 [310] 144 [547] 131 [500] 120 [456] 111 [422] 187 [715] 171 [652] 156 [596] 145 [551] 237 [905] 217 [826] 198 [754] 183 [698] 38 [146] 35 [134] 32 [122] 30 [113] 63 [242] 58 [221] 53 [201] 49 [187] 113 [430] 103 [392] 94 [358] 87 [332] 153 [585] 140 [534] 128 [487] 118 [451] 200 [764] 183 [697] 167 [637] 155 [589] 254 [967] 232 [883] 211 [806] 196 [746]

9/32

PowerPak Description

12/32

14/32

16/32

18/32

27

2.2

2.2

PowerPak Description

Motors with nozzled rotors are often overpumped when off-bottom. The amount of uid bypassed depends greatly on the pressure drop generated by the power section. This pressure drop is only 100150 psi when off-bottom, whereas nozzles are sized assuming a power section pressure drop of 300500 psi. Nozzled rotor motors should not be operated at ow rates higher than normal (non-nozzled rotor) pump limits when circulating off-bottom.
Dogleg

Rotating a motor in a high-dogleg interval in a well can damage the stator. The geometry of the wellbore causes the motor to bend and ex, especially if the motor has a bent housing. Because the stator housing is the weakest portion of the motor, it bends the most. As the stator housing bends, the elastomer pushes on the rotor and bends it, which causes excessive compression on the stator lobes and leads to chunking.

28

PowerPak Description

2.3

2.3 Transmission section

The transmission assembly, which is attached to the lower end of the rotor, transmits the rotational speed and torque generated by the power section to the bearing and drive shaft. It also compensates for the eccentric movement of the rotors nutation and absorbs its downthrust. Rotation is transmitted through the transmission shaft, which is tted with a universal joint at each end to absorb the eccentric motion of the rotor (Fig. 2-7). Both universal joints are packed with grease and sealed to extend their life.
Figure 2-7. Transmission assembly.

Thrust ball

Transmission shaft

Adjustable bent housing

Drive balls

29

2.3

PowerPak Description

The PowerPak transmission section accommodates the Anadrill SAB Surface-Adjustable Bent housing (Fig. 2-8). The transmission in most motors will allow for 0 to 3 of bend in the adjustable bent housing. However, the maximum bend for XP motors is 1.83 because the larger diameter shaft required for the high torque leaves less clearance in the transmission. Bend settings greater than 1.83 would cause the transmission in an XP motor to rub against the inner diameter (ID) of the adjustable bent housing.
Figure 2-8. SAB assembly.

Stator adaptor

Splined mandrel Adjusting ring Offset housing

30

PowerPak Description

2.4

2.4 Bearing section and drive shaft

The bearing section transmits drilling thrust and rotational power from the transmission shaft to the drill bit. This section consists of a forged-steel drive shaft supported by both axial and radial bearings (Fig. 2-9). Because the bearing section of a downhole motor is the component most exposed to harsh conditions, PowerPak motors are designed to ensure maximum operational efficiency by taking into account such factors as drilling uid properties, WOB and side loading, rotational speed and pressure drop across the bit.
Figure 2-9. Axial bearing assembly.

Housing Drive shaft

Race Bearing balls

Sleeve thread protector

31

2.4

PowerPak Description

Depending on directional requirements, the bearing housing can be tted with either a rig oorreplaceable sleeve or an integral blade-type stabilizer (Table 2-3). The variety of stabilizer diameters available meets every application. The blade shape and hard facing can be adapted on request.

Table 2-3. Stabilization options

Motor A475 Gauge Stabilizer Diameter (in.) Integral Blade 578 6 6 4
1

Sleeve Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Sleeve Body OD (in.) 538 538 538 538 538 712 712 712 712 N/A 938 978 958 1058 1112 1178 1178 1178 1178 1178 14 14 14

Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No

6 8
3 1

6 2 A675 814 838 912 9 4

3

A800

934 1218 1458 1678

A962 and A1125

12 8
1 3 5

13 8 14 8 1534 1578 1714 1738 21 8

7

2534 2734
NA = not applicable

32

PowerPak Description

2.4

The axial bearings consist of multiple mud-lubricated ball races that support the WOB load when drilling and the hydraulic downthrust when circulating off-bottom, drilling with less than the balanced WOB and backreaming (Fig. 2-10).
Figure 2-10. Axial bearing loading.

Bearing housing

Drive shaft

Off-bottomred balls loaded On-bottomgreen balls loaded

33

2.4

PowerPak Description

The tungsten carbide radial journal bearings mounted above and below the axial bearings serve a dual purpose: to counteract the side force on the bit when drilling to restrict the ow of mud through the bearing section so that only a small percentage of the total mud ow is used to lubricate the bearings (both radial and axial). The amount of uid that goes through the bearing is based on the bit pressure drop developed by the bit nozzles and the clearance of the radial bearing. For proper cooling of the bearings, the bit pressure drop must be in the range of 2501500 psi. If rig hydraulics require a bit pressure drop of less than 250 psi, the motor can be assembled with a special low-bit-pressure-drop radial journal bearing.
Bearing failure modes and prevention

Weight on bit

The aggressive nature of PDC bits generally precludes high bit weights. Tricone bits, however, are often run with high bit weights that accelerate the wear of the balls and races of the axial bearings. The races in the mud-lubricated axial bearings are case hardened. Their wear rate is not linear, because the amount of wear increases once they have worn past the hardened area. Just because a motor has only minor wear after a long run does not mean that the bearings are capable of repeating the same run time. The WOB limits listed in Chapter 5, Performance Data, are the rated maximum for the motors. Motors with XP power sections do not have higher bit weight limits than regular motors. The additional torque output of an XP section motor does not allow running more WOB. Because running a PowerPak motor at or near the rated maximum WOB decreases the life of the axial bearing, a limit of 80% of the rated maximum WOB is recommended for long runs.
34

PowerPak Description

2.4

Bit pressure drop

Bit pressure drop is the amount of force acting to push mud through the radial and axial bearings. The uid ow passing through the bearings must be at a high enough rate to cool and lubricate them, but too much ow will wash out the bearings. Because they are designed to restrict ow, the radial bearings allow a high bit pressure drop (1500 psi). The minimum bit pressure drop is 250 psi for standard bearings and 100 psi for low-bit-pressure-drop bearings. Problems can occur with too little pressure drop, particularly when motors are surface tested without a bit, because virtually no uid passes through the bearing section and the radial bearings can overheat rapidly. Motors should not be surface tested for more than 1 min without the minimum 100- or 250-psi pressure drop. Anadrill has a substitute bit that provides the required bit pressure drop when surface testing a PowerPak motor.
Mud solids

The bearing section is compatible with most mud systems. Highly abrasive mud systems can cause excessive wear on the entire bearing pack (radial and axial). Examples of highly abrasive muds include muds with more than 2% sand and systems that use hematite or similar substances for weighting material.

35

2.5

PowerPak Description

2.5 Housings and threads

PowerPak motors have a number of different threaded connections. The top and bottom connections are usually standard oileld API threads. The makeup, breakout, rework (face and chase) and recut of the API connections are fairly straightforward. Most oileld machine shops have the necessary thread gauges for this work. The Anadrill in-house threads on the stator connections and some other parts of the motor require special care to avoid causing motor failure.
Rotary speed

Rotating motors at rotary speeds above 80 rpm can damage the elastomer in the stator. High rotary speed increases the amount of centrifugal force generated by the rotor and transmission, which results in increased wear of the stator, transmission, radial bearings and internal connections. The larger the bend setting, the more susceptible motors are to damage. In addition, the horsepower (torque and speed) supplied to the bit from surface rotation of the drill string must be transferred through the stator to the rotor inside the motors power section. Table 2-4 provides a guide for the maximum speed at available angle settings. To extend motor life, it is recommended to run the motor at no more than 80% of the maximum rated speed.

36

PowerPak Description

2.5

Table 2-4. PowerPak maximum speed as a function of bent housing angle

0 3 Housing Bend Setting 0.00 0.39 0.78 1.15 1.50 1.83 2.12 2.38 2.60 2.77 2.90 2.97 3.00

Maximum rpm 200 160 120 60 40 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

0 2 Housing Bend Setting 0.00 0.26 0.52 0.77 1.00 1.22 1.41 1.59 1.73 1.85 1.93 1.98 2.00

Maximum rpm 200 170 140 120 90 60 40 40 NR NR NR NR NR

NR = not recommended Recommended rpm = 80% maximum

Corrosion

For the majority of applications, corrosion of the motor housing and internal componentsexcept for the rotoris not a problem. There are a few exceptions where corrosion can cause problems, particularly in the thread roots of the stator box threads. The stator box connection is vulnerable because of its thin-wall design and placement in the motor. Neither of these factors can easily be changed. Severe corrosion problems have occurred in saltsaturated muds, apparently as a result of galvanic action between the dissimilar metals of the PowerPak motor, drill collars and the conductive drilling mud. Sacricial anodes have been found to work well in the motors when this type of corrosion is a problem. Using ex pup joints above the motors also helps reduce the level of stress on the connections when drilling where corrosion is a problem.
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2.5

PowerPak Description

Thread-locking compound

The use of Torq-Lok thread-locking compound is recommended on XP section motors A475 and smaller motors any PowerPak motor if tough drilling conditions are expected: backreaming rotary speeds higher than 150 rpm anything other than a standard bit below the output shaft (cross-over, stabilizer, core barrel, etc.) high vibration or shock. Because thread-locking compounds have a higher coefficient of friction than pipe dope, the makeup torque on thread-locked connections should be 1.25 times the normal torque to achieve the same shoulder compression.

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